2014 Sioux County Democratic Platform

The following principles undergird our platform and our proposals. These principles help explain why we have chosen to be Democrats. This is not an exhaustive list, but ones which have come readily to mind.

We support the ability of all citizens to cast their votes in all elections without undue obstacles.

We support taking America off a permanent war footing.

We support governmental policies which make it easier for every member of society to achieve the American Dream when they work hard and governmental policies which reverse the trend of greater income disparity.

We oppose trickle-down economic theory.

We support the patriotism of companies which pay their employees a living wage.

We support a smarter, evidence-driven criminal justice/corrections policy—one which reduces our prison rate (which is the highest in the world) while maintaining public safety.

We believe that greater transparency and accountability is needed for our nation’s prisons. We support programs in prison which lead to the rehabilitation of inmates.

We support agricultural policies which strengthen families and communities. We also support agricultural policies which protect our air, our soil and our water.

We support equal pay for equal work.

We support continued refinement and improvement of the Affordable Care Act.

We believe human actions contribute to global climate change and we support policies and legislation designed to reduce climate change.

Statement of Issues

GOVERNMENT & LAW

We support:

Immigration reform that includes:

A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants

Reducing the visa backlog for legal entry

A guest worker program for lower-skilled workers

E-verify to end the hiring of undocumented immigrants

Improved policies for granting visas to facilitate reuniting family members with documented immigrants

Other measures to enable immigrant families to stay together or reunite

The DREAM Act

Access to driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants

In-state tuition rates for undocumented high school graduates

The elimination of any forms of racial profiling by law enforcement officers

Laws and policies which are intended to reduce violence against women

Universal background checks for all guns purchased in the United States

Reinstatement of the ban on assault weapons for private citizens

A ban on high-capacity magazines for guns

A greater use of restorative justice in our criminal justice system

A review of the sentencing structure that takes better account of the gravity of the crime

Increased funding for drug rehabilitation programs in prison to be available to any inmate, regardless of the length of his or her prison term

The use, when appropriate, of alternative justice measures for sentencing instead of